Sal Sandoval's Article

History Behind the Journey for Justice

(As requested by several people I am recounting the history behind the California Central Valley Journey for Justice. This becomes particularly important as we approach individuals and organizations for endorsement. I am including websites so that you can research particulars in more detail, without my having to go into a lot of detail here.)

The original idea for the California Central Valley Journey for Justice began with the Community Homeless Alliance Ministry (CHAM) of San Jose (www.cham-ministry.org).  Following a collaborative venture in Merced called the Healing Revival in April of 2004, ministers from CHAM proposed the idea to the Merced Labor Party/Just Health Care Committee. (www.thelaborparty.org). 

Leadership of CHAM has been very active for a number of years in the San Jose and Greater Bay Area. They have concentrated their efforts on shining a moral spotlight on poverty in the midst of plenty, as well as empowering the poor to be active participants in the betterment of society. Together with the national umbrella organization Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign (www.economichumanrights.org) and local affiliates such as the Merced Labor Party and the Bay Area-based Women’s Economic Agenda Project (weap.org), CHAM had helped to organize and participate in bus tours of California and the Central Valley as part of the New Freedom Bus Tour of November 2002. Additionally, the Merced Labor Party had been active in trying to qualify a health care measure on the city and then the county ballots. It was also participating, along with CHAM and WEAP, as part of Healthcare Now! (www.healthcare-now.org/) in calling for Citizens Congressional Hearings on health care across the country.

The seed for the Journey for Justice was planted by a San Jose Mercury News article from 2004. According to this article, poverty is hidden in the Central Valley of California. If the 300-mile long and 50-mile wide Central Valley were a state, it would rank 30th in terms of population, and second behind Mississippi in terms of poverty. A minister from CHAM sent us in Merced this article shortly before the Healing Revival. The finding was a revelation for us in Merced, even though we live here.

Since this report appeared, several other reports have appeared that corroborate the substance of the article. A Congressional Research Service Report commissioned by five Congressmen from the Valley showed that Valley residents receive $2,000 less per capita in funds for services than the rest of the country. The 2005 County Health Status Profiles of the California Department of Health Services ranked five of the Valley counties at the bottom of the economic scale with the most persons below 18 years of age living in poverty. The worst county was Imperial County, followed by the Valley counties of Tulare, Fresno, Madera, Merced, and Kern. Since these reports, another study showed that the city of Fresno has the highest urban poverty concentration in the entire United States. The tragedy of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath happened during this time and highlighted for us the urgency of developing a network of active and moral people united in the just cause of fulfilling people’s economic human rights.

Members of the Journey for Justice
Credit: James Szynder

The original idea for the California Central Valley Journey for Justice was to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the United Farm Workers march on Sacramento.  However, unlike the 1965 march, its purpose was to demonstrate the different face of poverty today, as growing numbers of previously comfortable workers are falling into poverty for the first time. The intent is to unite those who have long suffered poverty and official neglect with those now under attack: at that time

firefighters, teachers, and nurses were specifically mentioned. People all across the state are fighting to avoid the reduction of their living standards to the level of farm workers. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has shown that if people do not band together and take action to protect themselves, no one else will do it for them.

Because resources for a 30-day march were not available, it was proposed initially that the week of Easter break be targeted with bus tours, car caravans traveling from town to town, speak outs, local marches, local events, perhaps Citizen Congressional Hearings, and other media events planned. CHAM committed to bringing 100 people from San Jose to participate i

n the events as part of an exchange effort, assuming housing and food could be arranged for them.

Preliminary meetings were held in Fresno in September 2005 with the Reverend Floyd Harris. At that time it was decided to focus on health care and the criminal justice system as the main thrusts for the Journey for Justice, although certainly in the local events other needs, such as education, housing, immigration, etc. would surface.

Since then the coordinating meetings have expanded to include people and organizations in Tulare, Madera, and Stockton, as well as Fresno and Merced. A steering committee has been selected to coordinate between general meetings. Minutes of the meetings are available upon request.

Lastly, through David Alvarez of the Yaqui Tribe, members of the Journey for Justice have been helping on the valley portion of the Native American Sacred Run, which starts in San Francisco, then passes from Sacramento to Merced and Delano, before veering off towards Hurricane Katrina-devastated Louisiana, New Orleans, Mississippi, and ending in Washington DC (). The theme of this 27th annual event, the sacredness of life, has special meaning in view of the Journey for Justice and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Also, it provides us with valuable experience and contacts to aid in the preparations for the California Central Valley Journey for Justice in April, 2006.

At the time of this writing, the California Central Valley Journey for Justice is preparing for its sixth planning meeting on February 18, 2006 in Fresno at the office of Comite No Nos Vamos.

Respectfully,
Salvador Sandoval MD
209-631-6461 for more information